DOH records highest HIV case since ’84

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MANILA — The Department of Health has recorded 646 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in February, the highest number since 1984.

According to a latest data from the Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry, 20 new cases are being recorded every day.

The number is higher than the 17 cases reported daily in 2014.

“This is a 33-percent increase from figures seen in the same period last year,” the DOH said.

A total of 17 reported deaths were also recorded for the month of February. A majority of them were male and 65 percent belong to the age group of 24 to 34 years old.

From January 2010 to February 2015, a total of 19,285 HIV cases were reported causing the number of new cases to rise to 23,709 from January 1984 to February 2015.

Of the total number of cases, 96 percent were among men. The DOH also recorded two cases acquired through mother-to-child transmission.